travis

Well, personal concerns have kept me away from the internet for awhile (gasp) but ye olde show must go on. Ryan from Burly Time sent me some bright, beautiful instrumental pieces by a Detroit guitarist named Nick Schillace. Very laid back, exceptional listening for the stressful time I have had the last couple weeks. Of course today I was listening again and my brain said, “‘1976’ … wait, isn’t there a song called ‘1974’?” Which of course caused a mad scramble through my CDs, and this post.

Before I start, the little elves at the Hype Machine have been working extra hard for their Jolly Ranchers, and they’ve compiled a long list of bloggers’ favorite albums of 2007. No surprise there; in fact Dave at the Rawkblog points out that Idolator’s poll, the Pazz & Jop poll, and the hype machine’s list all are about the same (via Heart On A Stick).

Sadly, my number one did not follow the crowd, and Josh was relegated to #40. I still love ya, Josh!

And now, more proof that music videos aren’t dead. They’re just back to being lo-fi.

0.5 Muzzle of Bees just posted a new video from What Made Milwaukee Famous — it’s got fencing! And math! And Lance Armstrong! And it’s awesome. Go check out “Sultan.”

01. At Stereogum, you can see Willie Nelson being adorable in “You Don’t Think I’m Funny Anymore.” No no, I never did think he was funny. But he does get cuter as he ages (why is that?).

02. At Fabulist!, Olga digs up the video for PJ & Nick’s song “Henry Lee.” I was a big fan of “Murder Ballads,” but for some reason I never saw this video. And it fairly sizzles (though luckily for the 90s-greasy-haired protagonists, it never does catch fire).

12. Jax also links to video of Eli from Monolators and the Henry Clay People doing a fun cover of “Psycho Killer.” With the white pants and all, it’s very 80s.

13. And last but not least, spooky #13 is Miho Hatori (of Cibo Matto fame)’s video for the song “Barracuda,” from her solo album “Ecdysis.” (Aaaand wikipedia says that ecdysis is “the molting of the cuticula in arthropods and related groups.” Righteous.) [via Fabulist!]

Where I didn’t like the album but the one song, it just wouldn’t leave my brain! (Hopefully putting up all these songs won’t max out my bandwidth. You guys wouldn’t do that to me, would ya?)

[ed note: tracks removed. contact me for a copy.]

01. The Rosebuds — Get Up, Get Out

I had this on a mixtape and my son (age 6) asked for it every single day for weeks. We neither of us have any idea what they’re saying on that song, but even now he will sing different words to that same tune (“da da, da da, da da da”). So I honor it here.

02. Okkervil River — John Allyn Smith Sails

This one’s for Chad. I know I give the River a lot of flack, but this song just proves that Will Sheff knows his poetry, and I gotta give him props for his knowledge and his ability to use it so well.

03. Travis — Selfish Jean

“The Boy With No Name” had some really great songs on it, and this is one of them. Whoever Jean is, she’s probably so vain she thinks that song is about her.

04. Luke Temple — People Do

I have to take Temple in short doses, but “People Do” is a beautiful example of folk/country, and “Snow Beast” is a good solid album (if a bit thin).

05. The Innocence Mission — Lake Shore Drive

I left “We Walked In Song” off my list, and I’m kind of sad about that. I love this song, and it’s one of many fine ones.

06. Gogol Bordello — Wonderlust King

Sometimes Gogol Bordello gets on my nerves amazingly, but this song is totally fabu. “Has he not gone beyond the hills? Has he not crossed the seven seas?”

07. DJ Rekha & Panjabi MC — Snake Charmer

Superfab Indian electronica from the album “Basement Bhangra.”

08. Aesop Rock — None Shall Pass

Yes, I had no idea what this was about. I did feel proud of myself for branching out, though, ha ha, and if you parse the lyrics you find some very interesting bits in there.

09. Wyclef Jean feat Serj Tankian & Sizzla — Riot

I could have done without the rock opera background, but I love Wyclef telling the neighbors to mind their business.

10. Brandi Carlile — Cannonball

I must have listened to this one a million times. Harmony! Sweet, sweet, sweet, sweet harmony.

I have been megahooked on re-watching “Friday Night Lights.” Who knew I’d love a show about football so much? It’s crazy! So this site has been sitting sadly waiting for me to finish watching season one again.

Before I start with the mind-numbing video goodness, I want to give literary props to Blogs Are For Dogs. Every Saturday Josh runs “Short Story Saturday,” where you can get your English major on. Woo!

01. Via the Music Slut, the video for Travis’s “My Eyes.” I love this song, but the video is just odd.

02. Each Note Secure rounded up some nice Elvis covers, including the Pet Shop Boys doing “Always On My Mind.” I absolutely love that video with its classic line: “I’m a bilingual … illiterate. I can’t read in two languages.”

03. Via New & Used Records, video of the New Pornographers doing “My Rights Vs. Yours” on Letterman. If you haven’t heard this song yet, DO YOURSELF A FAVOR. Seriously, as a person who was not a fan of Destroyer or New Pornographers (much) before this, do yourself a favor.

05. From Fabulist, “Les Escargots,” a short French film about … giant snails. Moral of the story — don’t water your plants with your tears.

06. Wonderful Jax from Rock Insider turned me on to Jenn Grant — quintessential girl indie, and the video for “Dreamer” has this little smidge of interpretive dance around the 2 minute mark … just a tease of it … so beautiful.

10. New & Used Records proves that Nelly Furtado is the new Paula Abdul. I mean that respectfully, because Paula was my girl, back in the day. This video for “Do It” has a righteous beat.

11. Electroqueer bemoans the lack of lesbian moments in the Veronicas’ video “Hook Me Up.” Well, they are sisters, after all… there’s only so much you can hope for, even in this great perverted fantasyland we call the internet. Great song tho, seriously.

12. From Audiography, a link to the inmates of Cebu Provincial Detention & Rehabilitation Center in Cebu, Phillippines, ddoing “Thriller.” This has 6 million views, maybe you’ve seen it before. It’s disturbing but so nicely choreographed! Well played, inmates. Well played.

While slowly making my way through my rss feeds, I often come upon videos. Oh Youtube, enabler of so many amateur antics, sometimes you come through.

This one for sister Juliette — Damien Rice and Ray LaMontagne duet on French TV, singing “To Love Somebody.” Two extremely breathy singers, one Bee Gees song –freakin’ awesome.

Patrick Wolf, “The Magic Position” — How can I explain my love for this song (and this video)? Wolf’s in his element here, and he’s singing in his range, and if this song doesn’t make you want to dance like you’re an extra in “Singin’ In the Rain,” you have no heart :)